The head of the Department for Work and Pensions’ technology division has urged trendsetters from across the sector to help the DWP deliver one of Europe’s biggest and most important technology programmes.

Speaking at the DWP’s #NextSprint conference in Manchester recently, Mayank Prakash, the department’s director general of Digital Technology, called on innovators from across the sector – whether start-ups or multinationals – to help the department deliver one of Europe’s biggest and most important technology programmes.

https://twitter.com/DigiLeaders/status/748775015093379072

The director, who previously served as CIO at FTSE 100 company Sage, has previously said that he and the department are “proactively designing and delivering our digital future on a massive scale”.

“We’re at the heart of a new approach to digital technology in government, an approach which is already making a big difference to colleagues and claimants alike.

“We’re delivering the government’s bold vision to transform public services – a revolution driven by user need, fuelled by data, and created through fast, iterative agile development. Whether registering to vote, buying road tax, calculating tax, opening up work opportunities, checking pension or renewing a driving license, digital technology and data are simplifying and enhancing experiences,” continued Prakash.

The tech expert added that the department is “setting the pace” with digital technology and data, collaborating already with innovators and exploring the role of “potential game-changers, such as blockchain, machine learning and cognitive computing to name a few, in building more intelligent, efficient and tailored services.”